14.5 in cold climates

[Rifleman_04]

I run my 17" rifle gas gun all winter here and have never had an issue. Last time out was -20 something with -40 something on the real feel.

[Stugotz]

Last time out was -20 something with -40 something on the real feel.

FWIW, "real feel" will have ZERO bearing on the functionality of your rifle...

[Titan74]

Little off topic....
When I used to live less than 500 miles from the northern US boarder, I would put my rifles/pistols in a trash bag before bringing inside. I would get as much air out as I could. I would leave them wrapped like this until they normalized to the inside temp. This did not prevent all the condensation, but it helps.

Trash bag can be helpful, and if possible, you can also bring the gun inside in steps and let the temperature rise gradually: first to car, then to garage and finally to normal room temperature. However, bringing guns inside is not the real problem - those will start when you take your gun back outside: condensation turns to ice, and having ice inside the gun is not a good idea.

[Titan74]

I don't know if this helps or not but I have run 14.5" carbine gas systems in -45 F (Ft. Wainwright areas) for the Army and it functioned fine. Only issue was frostbite on cheeks and noses. I also have run 16" carbine gas for a carbine class at -20 F and it was fine.

That -45 F is already real cold, assuming you mean the temperature and not the windchill or real feel temperature. Frostbite can very easily be an issue, as any shooting range activities tend to be stationary and windchill is almost always an issue at the range. You can not run either, as sweating your gear and skin wet can be very dangerous.

I have been shooting in -21 F or so, but not any colder (and I live by the sea, which makes that -21 feel cold enough for me anyway). Even getting to the range starts to be a challenge at -25 F, as engines running on standard arctic grade diesel do not run anymore.

BTW, did you use standard CLP? During winter I normally use Slip 2000/EWL, but also CLP has been working at least down to -20. I believe that Slip should be ok also at -45 F, but have not been able to verify that. At those temps many normal lubricants do not work well enough for reliable operation and it can be better to run the gun dry.

[Rifleman_04]

FWIW, "real feel" will have ZERO bearing on the functionality of your rifle...

Well when it’s beyond -20 and the wind is blowing it does.

[Titan74]

Well when it’s beyond -20 and the wind is blowing it does.

Wind chill can not reduce the temperature of the gun below the ambient temperature. It only affects the shooter.

[Stugotz]

Well when it’s beyond -20 and the wind is blowing it does.

Once again, the ONLY effect the wind chill will have is to increase the rate of cooling. Examples of this would be things like air being blown through a radiator. It will cool faster as the air blows faster. So if your engine has just stopped running the engine and surrounding areas will cool much faster in the wind than in still air. Given an outdoor temp. of -20F and a blowing wind giving you a wind chill factor of -40F, the rifle (or any inanimate object for that matter) will/can ONLY drop down to a temp. of -20F. That said, it will reach that temp. much faster if exposed to the wind directly. Once the rifle (or object) has reached the same temperature as its surroundings though, the amount of air blowing on it makes no difference at all.

Wind chill effect pertains to moist skin, which is subject to evaporative heat loss, which increases with wind. Dry, solid objects like a rifle or vehicles assume ambient air temperature (before you start the engine) with wind having no effect on how cold the vehicle eventually gets. Skin/flesh does experience "real feel" but a rifle or any inanimate object does not.

[Rifleman_04]

Once again, the ONLY effect the wind chill will have is to increase the rate of cooling. Examples of this would be things like air being blown through a radiator. It will cool faster as the air blows faster. So if your engine has just stopped running the engine and surrounding areas will cool much faster in the wind than in still air. Given an outdoor temp. of -20F and a blowing wind giving you a wind chill factor of -40F, the rifle (or any inanimate object for that matter) will/can ONLY drop down to a temp. of -20F. That said, it will reach that temp. much faster if exposed to the wind directly. Once the rifle (or object) has reached the same temperature as its surroundings though, the amount of air blowing on it makes no difference at all.

Wind chill effect pertains to moist skin, which is subject to evaporative heat loss, which increases with wind. Dry, solid objects like a rifle or vehicles assume ambient air temperature (before you start the engine) with wind having no effect on how cold the vehicle eventually gets. Skin/flesh does experience "real feel" but a rifle or any inanimate object does not.

Dude. Get over it. I just looked at the weather app on my phone that day and that was the info given. Go get on someone else’s case about citing wind chill. The point is it was -20 something and my 17” rifle gas gun worked fine.

[Stugotz]

Dude. Get over it. I just looked at the weather app on my phone that day and that was the info given. Go get on someone else’s case about citing wind chill. The point is it was -20 something and my 17” rifle gas gun worked fine.

DUDE, Do you not recall that in a prior post you stated the following?!?


I will agree with you that a rifle will operate perfectly fine in sub-zero temps, I am only taking issue with the statement that real feel of -40F affects the rifle from operating. Why don't you back up statement with a fact (or 2)...

[HeruMew]

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